February 23, 2012
Novus, Verenium develop next-generation enzyme for animal health
Press Release
Novus International Inc. and biotechnology company Verenium Corporation announced the selection of a next-generation phytase as the first enzyme candidate to advance toward commercialisation.
The companies embarked on a strategic partnership in June of last year to develop a suite of new enzyme products from Verenium's late-stage pipeline in the animal nutrition and health area globally.
"This partnership has enabled us to create enzyme solutions for nutritionists, producers and others who want to optimise nutrition. This product is geared toward use in poultry, pork and aquaculture products," notes Novus International President and CEO Thad Simons.
"We're pleased to be a valued partner in optimising nutrition and, as a result, lowering feed costs for our customers through cutting-edge enzyme solutions like this one."
Reducing the amount of phytate-bound phosphorus is key in helping livestock producers reduce the impact of animal production on the environment. The phytase enzyme being developed as part of this collaboration will help nutritionists and producers feed more efficiently and get the most out of their rations.
"This product is indicative of the significant progress we've made so far in our partnership with Novus, having exceeded important technical milestones ahead of schedule. This early success is a result of combining our leading development capabilities with Novus's in-depth knowledge of customer needs. It's an early validation of the synergies between our two companies," said James Levine, president and CEO of Verenium.
"Looking ahead, we anticipate advancing additional product candidates and commercialising a suite of differentiated enzyme products that deliver superior performance and make a significant impact on the animal health and nutrition industry."
In addition to the next-generation phytase, the collaboration also has three additional products in late-stage development targeted at this market.
